Spain settled on the ball very quickly, playing out from the back – with an early searching pass forward from Sergio Ramos finding Rodrigo through on goal, only for the flag to go up for offsides.

England raised the tempo when they got on the ball although the visitors’ passing and movement off the ball had the home side on the backfoot.

A free-kick from the left on eight minutes after foul by Joe Gomez was easily dealt with before some indecision from John Stones and Harry Maguire nearly allowed Rodrigo in.

But it was the home side who took the lead in emphatic fashion as they broke forward with pace, and after Luke Shaw was fed out wide on the left by Harry Kane, he swept in a superb low curling pass behind the Spain defence and into the path of Marcus Rashford, who needed just a touch to beat David de Gea.

But the lead lasted less than two minutes as Saul rifled home from inside the area after connecting to cut-back from Rodrigo, who had been played down the flank by Carvajal.

Rodrigo was wide with a speculative effort on 22 minutes before a well-worked England free-kick nearly paid dividends, but Harry Kane was crowded out as he set to shoot after Maguire’s header across goal from Shaw’s lofted delivery.

Deli Alli was next unable to find the right pass to pick out Kane inside the Spanish area before Maguire did well to cut out a Carvajal delivery from the right.

Spain though were soon in the lead as Rodrigo arrived late in the box to connect perfectly to Marcos Alonso’s near post free-kick, with 32 minutes played.

Rashford so nearly levelled with a powerful header that De Gea clawed away from his goal while Jordan Pickford comfortable kept out Saul after another sweeping move forward.

An injury to Shaw at the start of the second half led to a lengthy delay, with the Manchester United fullback withdrawn on a stretcher following a heavy collision with Carvajal, to be replaced by Danny Rose.

As Spain continued to attack, Thiago thundered an effort from the right-hand side just over Pickford after a cross from the left from Alonso made its way to the advancing player.

Rashford was working hard trying to get England going but his shot from 25 yards on 77 minutes deflected kindly for De Gea before a solid stop from the Spanish keeper, against from his Manchester United teammate, with the game winding down, kept Spain in front.

Kane, who had teed up Rashford, smashed the follow-up on the volley wide from a tight angle.

England were enjoying a spell of possession and Rose got down the left flank well, to win a corner, that Maguire headed just wide.

There were nine minutes of stoppage time to take into account the time Shaw was being treated, but try as they might, there would be no late comeback for England, as a very late strike from Welbeck was ruled out for a supposed foul on De Gea.

A poor Ramos clearance was challenged in the air by Welbeck, who swept home as De Gea dropped the ball, only to have his celebration cut short.